International
A number of international initiatives are developing that provide an opportunity to link geodiversity conservation to biodiversity, cultural programmes and sustainable development strategies. These opportunities reflect the realisation that geodiversity is important in its own right but also as an essential support to biodiversity and cultural conservation programmes.
There are two active international initiatives that provide opportunities to promote geodiversity management in a wider context, The world Heritage Convention and the Convention on Biodiversity.
The World Heritage Convention
The World Heritage Convention is unique in two respects. It recognises both natural and cultural heritage and provides a global mechanism for identifying and protecting important geological sites. In its 32 year history the Convention has done much to promote, at the global level, a wide range of geological heritage - from small sites of a few hectares to large areas within protected landscapes. As the Convention builds on this experience and looks forward there is considerable scope for developing new ideas and new ways of recognising outstanding geological and geomorphological heritage, and linking it with cultural and natural heritage values.
To understand better how the World Heritage Convention might recognise geodiversity in future, both in its own right and as a complement to other values, IUCN (The World Conservation Union) as advisory body to the World Heritage Committee on natural heritage is undertaking a thematic study of the role of geology and geomorphology in the World Heritage Convention.
The role of the World Heritage convention in global geoconservation was discussed at the 'Earth heritage: World heritage' Conference in a presentation given by Paul Dingwall (IUCN). Click here to view the abstract and to go to a copy of the presentation.
Links:
'Geological World Heritage: A Global Framework' (File format PDF – Size 473 KB)
UNESCO World heritage
Global and European Geopark Networks
Geoparks are intended to promote geological heritage, and to use this heritage to promote sustainable economic development for the surrounding area.
The European Geoparks Network was established in June 2000 and now consists of 23 members in nine member states of the European Union. In February 2004 the European Geoparks Network was formally integrated into the UNESCO-endorsed Global Geoparks Network.
In June 2004 the first International Conference on Geoparks was held in Beijing in China. The 2nd International Conference was held in September 2006 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The conference declaration can be found at:
http://www.unesco.org/science/earth/geoparks/declaration.pdf
Links:
European Geoparks:
http://www.europeangeoparks.org/
The Convention on Biodiversity
The Convention on Biodiversity is one of the main driving forces behind global conservation programmes for biodiversity. The Convention is continuing to develop approaches to biodiversity conservation leading to acceptance of the need to recognise the role of geological and geomorphological processes in supporting biodiversity. The application of what the Convention terms the ‘Ecosystem Approach' now offers an opportunity to promote geoconservation concepts through this convention.
The EA seeks to integrate social, economic and ecological factors, balancing sustainable use of natural resources of all kinds with equitable sharing of costs and benefits. The Ecosystem Approach seeks to ‘make good' the limitations of single sector approaches to nature conservation that focus on specific species or protected area systems. The need to step beyond these approaches to encompass entire landscapes (and seascapes) is widely recognised and the EA attempts to do this, not as a substitute for the traditional approaches but as a logical and necessary extension to their application. There is a clear role for geodiversity management within the Ecosystem Approach.
Links:
Convention on Biodiversity